Angel
by OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro
Summary: This is how our journey begins. A young king and his soontobebride require saving from an old friend...who isn't really in a good mood about the upcoming nuptials, if you catch my drift... XD


Author: Dicey

Title: Angel

Summary: This is how our journey begins. A young king and his soon-to-be-bride require saving from an old friend...who isn't really in a good mood about the upcoming nuptials, if you catch my drift... XD

* * *

_**Angel**_

_**One: Soaring Spirits**_

* * *

_"Our spirits soar on the wings of angels,"_

That was the last thing my mother ever said to me. I still remember the smell of her hair as she held me close one last time, her blood staining my school uniform...

That was nearly two years ago.

I never truly understood its meaning until now. She passed on soon after I returned from Gaea...how could she have possibly known?

Grandmother did. Father did. Mother did. Hell, Mamoru did, all of them, before they passed away.

I mess with my hair for a second. I've never been able to get it to stay. It would be nice to have it nice for once. My hair has grown out as a sign of change, and I have recently dyed the tips in red foxtails.

I grin because it always reminds me of Merle when I look in the mirror. But then I'm not actually seeing myself.

I look how she used to. I look like an innocent child.

But not my eyes. Green orbs that hold too much pain to be those of children. I'm not a child. Not anymore. Things were less complicated then, I suppose, but then I wouldn't be so cynical and sardonic. And I like those qualities in myself.

I stop to check my reflection in the mirror again. Oh, I barely even noticed that I was braiding my hair...

Tying the loose ends together with a small red ribbon, I do a little spin like I'm a model and study myself. I'm wearing a black tank top that hangs above my navel, exposing my creamy, near translucent skin which I've had pierced with a belly-ring for the last six months. Little red stones hang down in an arrow shape towards the top fringe of my red and black plaid shorts with chains. Trotting over to my drawer, I grab some black and red stockings and pull them on before donning my boots. The silver rings and small claw for my index finger all snatched from my dresser within a few moments.

I might as well go over to Yukina's house, I was thinking, It's time to get tortured by her daughter for money. I grabbed my black duster and sauntered out the door of my empty house.

Was this what I did now?

I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. Of course all I have to do is baby-sit annoying little brats. Since I got back...

I just felt so detached. I'm aware that I even did it all to myself. I fell in love and I fell through time. I ended up torn and bleeding on the ground. I've always been too dramatic for my own good.

When I got back, I was so broken I cut everything off. Feeling hurt too much. I didn't eat or sleep well for months. Finally, my heart started to feel cold and dead.

It didn't help that my entire family was wiped out.

I even wished a few times that I could go back to Gaea; to see everyone again...my friends.

But then I just stopped caring.

I arrived at Yukina's in record time. I hop out of my black mustang swiftly, dashing up the steps like always. But before I can even ring the damn bell, the door swings open and I find myself being tackled by Yukina's six-year-old, Chidori.

As I tried--unsuccessfully, might I add--to pry the girl off of me, she kept repeating the one phrase I wasn't in the mood to hear.

"Angel! Angel-Kanzaki-san, you're here! Angel! Angel!"

I heard Yukina Tomoe's cold tone above the child's screams; she was leaning coolly against the door jam, "Hello, Kanzaki-san. I suppose someone forgot to remind you that Yamazaki and I will not be going out for the next few weeks. He is away on business."

Business my _ass_. I wouldn't be surprised if he was cheating on you...again.

She continued with her same curt tone, the one I should have been used to by now but wasn't, "I'm aware that your friend Yukari-san is down at the racetrack. Why don't you go and meet her there. I'm sure you two have lots to catch up on."

I didn't say anything.

I'm not passive, or anything, I just don't believe she's worth my time. Oh, the fun I'd have if I weren't bound by this world's rules...

I turned away with Chidori still clinging to my waist. I could hear Yukina say icily, "I believe it would be in Chidori's best interest if you did not baby-sit her anymore, Kanzaki-san."

All I did was mutter darkly to myself. Wouldn't it be nice if I could curse this bitch here and now? Yes, it would. But I won't. I'm trying to be good. Still on probation, you understand.

I finally pry Chidori's hold on me and kneel before her. "You'll still be my friend even though you have to go, right?" She squeaked out, dark curls bouncing.

I gave her a little nod and kissed her on both cheeks before turning and walking down the sidewalk.

As I pulled away from the house, I pulled the ribbon out of my hair forcefully and held it out the window. Chidori ran to fetch it faithfully and I told her quietly, "Don't tell your mother about this, okay, sweetie? It'll be our secret."

Her eyes were wide with awe at the simple gift. "Uh-huh," she nodded reverently. "I pinky promise."

We locked fingers and I gave her one last smile before I told her to go back to her mother. I didn't have any more coherent thoughts until I reached the track of the high school. Parking in the student parking lot, I made my way to the field and up the bleachers. I leaned against the railing as I ascended, my chains slapping against the metal of the sturdy skeleton.

I wonder what would happen if I fell, I smiled maliciously, knowing that there wouldn't be anyone to catch me this time if I were to take the jump.

Splat, probably. I glanced over to the school. Maybe I'm just channeling Dilandau right now, I thought with a smirk, but I'd _really _love to burn it down...

I'm a senior now, though it doesn't really matter that much to me. I'm not graduating. I never go to classes and I probably won't go to college either. My grades have dropped quite a bit since I realized how fucking hopeless the world is.

Yukari is probably gone by now, I realized, and wondered why I was even here in the first place. It wasn't like I was one to listen to Yukina. Besides, Yukari is more concerned with how much money Amanou spent on her or what car the rich-bitches are going to splurge on next.

Oh, crap. Yukari's lightened hair caught my eye. She wasn't alone, either. Amanou stood in the grassy field area with a stopwatch so as to record his girlfriend's times. Some lowerclassmen I recognized as Anna and Paprika, two sophomores, were there as well, along with Gracie, a junior.

Paprika seemed to have spotted me, for she started calling something over to Yukari while she pointed in my direction.

Joy. Attract _more_ unnecessary attention to yourself.

Gracie, whom I had never even really spoken to, waved at me. I just rolled my eyes and hoped Yukari and Amanou didn't do anything stupid.

It's not like I should have expected much. Yukari and I grew apart after my trip to Gaea, and Amanou followed her like a lost puppy. He even decided to apply to a school close to her so that they could be together forever. Aww, how sickeningly sweet. Even the thought makes me want to puke.

Yukari found the in-crowd when I cut her out of my daily schedule. Which is partly my fault, I know. But she didn't have to torture me for the past few months. I do enough damage on my own.

Other than my brief friendship with Yukari and my even shorter romance with Amanou, I hadn't had many friends at school, let alone anyone else to talk to. I guess I don't feel like gushing out my guts to people anymore. There doesn't really seem to be much of a point to it.

I close my eyes and sigh when I spot the others climbing up the bleachers eagerly awaiting confrontation. I let out another breath and slump down on one of the metal benches. My senses started soaring.

What I would give for a lite right now...

I felt something on my shoulder, but didn't bother opening my eyes to see who it was. Couldn't possibly be my schoolmates; they wouldn't have been able to reach me so quickly.

Besides, I already knew. His presence is too strong to just ignore.

"Hey, Ishitaru," I say, looking over to him boredly, "What brings you to my side of town?" My ironic words are lost on him, though, and before he answers Yukari is already butting in.

"Hitomi," Yukari exclaimed in a tone of false-cheerfulness as she rushed to my side, giving Ishitaru side glances traced with lust, "Why are you here? Is something the matter?"

_Fake bitch_, I thought, but shrugged instead.

I have no idea why I don't just act the way I feel. Or maybe I just don't want to deal with what she'd have to say.

Paprika cut in, panting out, "Who is _this_ hottie?" I'm pretty sure she was trying to sound sexy. Personally, I thought she sounded like a dying cow, but hey, who am I to judge?

I glance in the direction of the parking lot quickly, and then back to Ishitaru. "His name is Ishitaru Yomitzu," I reply distractedly, contemplating how to reach my car before Ishitaru does something...well, something extremely stupid.

Ishitaru pulled out the "to-die-for" smile on the girls, but I didn't buy it. The guy may be cute, I'll give him that, but he is _so_ not cutting it for my high standards. He has freakishly long dark brown hair with sharp baby blue eyes that seem to catch every little detail.

Well, every little detail except when it came to reading me.

So now as he stands here in front of me, towering over my five-foot-four frame, I can almost see Allen in him. Almost. The annoyingly persistent personality. The superior mindset. The fact that he looked deliciously yummy until you looked under the surface.

Okay, so I'm not going to bullshit you completely. The man is hot. Dark blue muscle shirt and black slacks he's got the body for. Black trench coat exactly like mine, except his had the collar up. Black and white pumas.

Unfortunately for Ishitaru, I didn't melt at his blindingly-white smile and started to stare blankly into space.

Joy.

Not only do I have Yukari, Amanou, and a couple of horny girls blocking the way to my car, Ishitaru is here and he's charming them. I am never going to live this down with Jules...

I resist the urge to roll my eyes again. My head hurts. "Ishitaru," I ask plainly, hoping to get a straight-up answer instead of the bullshit he usually tries to feed me, "Why are you here?"

Please don't let him say what I think he's about to say...

"To take my bride, of course," He said it like it was the most logical thing and I was an imbecile for not thinking of it first.

Okay, I am aware that I set myself up for that one. But hey, you can't blame a girl for hoping.

At his words, Yukari and her posse flushed immediately sans Amanou.

I fought the urge to slug the bastard. Slowly, my eyebrow rose. "Are you so stupid you don't remember my answer?"

He gave me a cheeky smile, "Yeah; you didn't say yes or no."

Yep, he's so stupid he doesn't even remember my answer. After a mental sigh I took to having my subconscious yell at him.

_**/YOU DUMBASS I HIT YOU OVER THE HEAD AND THREW YOU INTO A WALL/**_

"Right," I hedged. "I didn't say yes."

"But you didn't say no, either," He pointed out smugly. Urgh, creep-ville.

"I didn't say yes," I stated stonily, "And I don't want to remember."

"Then may I refresh your memory?" Ishitaru questioned, taking on an innocent facade. Sort of like the facade I've been hiding behind while I nurse my broken heart.

Hmm...Now might be a good idea to change the subject before the horny school girls actually start drooling on me...

"How is everyone?" I asked with feigned interest. This was lost on him, of course.

"Wonderful, actually. Missing you terribly, but otherwise fine." Ishitaru informed me. He added with a mischievous smile, "Those other...acquaintances of yours. I heard that they are fine as well."

_Like I give a fuck._

Now let's see...if I occupy myself with my fingernails maybe he'll just disappear...

Like a figment of my imagination. If my imagination were so powerful. If I could forget all traces that would lead me back to him. Not Ishitaru, but _him_. The memories still fresh in my mind; burns in my heart. The emptiness inside of me...I'm on the edge, teetering off balance every so often when I think of him...

And this damn Ishitaru isn't doing anything to help the matter.

"Milerna and that Dryden fellow are planning their wedding, I believe. Chid is happily living with his aging father, and Merle met a very nice young man named Daren who is now courting her. I um, also heard that Allen is back to his old ways..."

Maybe if I don't physically see him, then he would disappear?

No. That didn't work either.

Well damn, isn't this just a great day?

I asked him in the dullest voice, hoping he would catch the hint that I wasn't in the kidding mood, "Yeah?"

"Oh, but I've been missing you dreadfully. That Celena girl isn't much for company nowadays. She moved into the mansion once her brother..."

Oh, but I already knew that.

"Really, really," and he gave me the strangest look.

Damn.

"Hitomi-chan, why don't you tell us a little more about your friend?" Yukari chortled suggestively as Anna, Paprika, and Gracie nodded their empty heads vigorously.

Amanou let out a low growl when he saw the look that his girlfriend was giving the newcomer.

I think it bothered him even more when he noticed that I was staring at Ishitaru as well. I guess he didn't notice that I was bored and Yukari was horny.

"Well," Ishitaru flashed me his set of pearly whites, "What should I tell them, Hitomi-chan?"

"The weather," I bit out sardonically, leaning back once again on the cold rail. It was uncomfortable on my back, the freezing metal bent at a strange angle.

"OK," was all he said and then he was back to flashing his perfectly-straight blindingly-white teeth to the girls again. _Dear lord, can't he take a fucking clue?_ "Where I'm from the weather is wonderful year-round. Of course, we have a different calendar, but...either way, it is quite a beautiful country. But they're currently rebuilding parts of the main city at the moment. We..." his voice caught, "Just ended a very long war..."

Yukari then went in for the kill. "Where is it again?" She purred, putting a slender arm around his shoulders and stroking his arm.

"Well, truth be told, I only commute there, so I don't really live in the city, but it's where I'm found most of the time." Ishitaru sent me a curious look as to why I wasn't responding to him as usual but didn't question me. Instead he went back to placating the girls, telling them exactly...well, what they didn't want to hear. Which isn't so good as far as placating them goes. "It's called Austuria. A very beautiful country. It is very far from here, on Gaea."

Gracie, Anna, and Paprika had nothing to say to this. Yukari and Amanou, however, were scrutinizing Ishitaru and I skeptically.

"And just how did you get here, Ishitaru?" I questioned dryly. "I'm quite sure you didn't take the train."

I thought I left all of those memories in the past.

"Since you're so _interested_," Ishitaru bit back, finally catching the disease that is my mood, "I'm not so sure. I was talking to the others when...well, you get the general idea."

Maybe he is smarter than I thought.

"But then I blanked out and I don't remember much after that."

Maybe I just gave him too much credit.

"Are you ready to go back, then? It wasn't the same when you visited us in the other realm. This time it will be different. You have your bag, don't you? It will be good to have when we are all reunited." He pointed to my worn green duffel.

Hm...Now where did that come from?

The irony of this situation made me scoff at the gods.

"No, to all questions," I told the cursed man. "And no."

"Well," he gave me another one of his blindingly-white smiles; "I guess you don't really have much of a choice, huh?" and a bright light enveloped us from the heavens.

I cursed under my breath as I felt my body lurch in the power surge that was once again sending me back to the mysterious planet of Gaea.

I guess I can forget about that joint I was about to go get.

_**Damn it all to fucking hell.**_

* * *

Now let's backtrack in time a couple of hours in the new and improved Fanelian castle...

* * *

Van Slanzar de Fanel, King of all Fanelia, sat at his desk, shifting through the seemingly endless paperwork. Who knew that being a king entailed so much...paperwork?

As he sighed, he remembered his father's voice saying gruffly, _"Now listen here, Van, when you need a piece of paper like this treaty here, you can never find it until you don't need it anymore. It's just how things work."_

He slid a gloved-hand through his unruly hair, glancing over at his partner-in-crime, Victoria, who was sitting in a chair off to his right, writing a letter to her ill grandmother.

"Victoria?" Van started hesitantly, standing and moving towards her.

"Yes, Van?" She responded instantly, like she always did. In her moment of distraction, she'd managed to spill some ink on her dress for the second time in a day. She too ran a hand through her luxurious red hair and sighed heavily. "Why do I always do that?" she asked him inquisitively, truly wanting to know, "Whenever someone is speaking to me I just..." Her voice faded off, and she gave Van a cheerful expression. "Sorry, about that. What were you saying?"

"Well, Victoria," Van remained hesitant with his words, "I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but..." Just as he was about to finish his thought, Victoria shrieked at something in the window behind him and clung to him desperately.

The blackbird in the stone window cocked its head at the redhead frantically hiding behind the dark-haired man.

The only thought it had was, "What the fuck?"

"A soul stealer!" Victoria cried again, wrapping her arms around Van's neck. "Don't let it get me, Van! I'm too young to..."

By this time Van was laughing at her expense. Nearly tearing up. He tried to hide it, really, but it was no use.

"Van, are you...are you laughing at me!" Victoria questioned, a hurt look coming to her features.

"Victoria, now, don't overreact..." Van pleaded.

Victoria had a nasty temper when provoked.

_"Just because you're the King of Fanelia doesn't mean you can just..."_

"Victoria," He tried to cut her off, but to no avail.

_"...say whatever you want and expect me to not get mad at you and..."_

"Victoria," He reiterated...

_"...not throw a fit when you're mean like this and I hate it when you're mean..."_

"Victoria, dammit, I'm trying to ask you something important!" Van finally broke her rambling injunction.

Getting down on the stereotypical one knee, Van took her hand in his and said slowly, "Victoria Kneller of Shrorn, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She was stunned, to say the least, but eventually leaped into Van's arms screaming at the top of her lungs, "Oh, Van! Yes! Yes!" She giggled when he held her tight to his chest and twirled her around the room.

Stopping, he set the petite woman down in a chair and told her, "Victoria, I know that you love this necklace, so I'm giving it to you as our...temporary engagement 'ring.' Keep it close and I'll be near your heart forever." Van told her sincerely, slipping the delicate silver chain from his neck and placing the glowing pink stone in her cool hands.

"I will. Forever," Victoria swore, taking one hand to his cheek and pulling him in for a kiss.

Their lips touched, hesitantly at first, and then with such passion they had to stop lest they want to end up unconscious.

"I love you, Victoria," A panting Van murmured against her lips.

"Me too," She replied with a giggle.

_But why do I have the feeling like I'm forgetting something?_ He asked himself. Shrugging it off as nothing, he kissed her again, pulling her even closer to him.

The glow from the pink stone faded ever so slightly.

The blackbird in the window left unforgotten, took flight and grinned mentally.

_Let the games begin._

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_**theend**_


End file.
